Pressing apparatus



5. DAVIS PRESSING APPARATUS Oct. 2, 1928.

Filed Jan. 14. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS,

E. DAVIS PRESSING APPARATUS Oct. 2, 1928. 1,686,312

51% Filed Jan. 14, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4/ 4.2 56 34 52 m 39 I F 1 -ir (9 /7 INVENTOR.

" Z ATTORNEY5;

Patented Oct. 2, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,686,312 PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST DAVIS, 01' SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE PROSPERITY COMPANY LNG, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

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Application 111m January 14, 1927. Serial No. 161,091.

J This invention relates to garment and laundry pressing machines, particularly laundry presses and has for its object a particularly simple, efficient and compact construction whereby large articles as sheets can be readily pressed, which are usually ironed on a large flat work ironer, and furthermore whereby the danger of injury to one operator due to premature closing of the press by another operator is impossible.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is '.a front elevation of a press embodying my invention.

Figure 2is a side elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view of the intfirlocking means between the pairs of han- This machine comprises generally cooperating pressing elements, one of which is movable toward and from the other, these ele ments being comparatively long and wide so that by the usual practice a large,.heavy frame would be required, means for supporting and actuating of the movable element, said means being connected to the end portions of the movable element, operator operated control means'comprising a plurality of pairs of handles, one pair for each operator for controlling the actuation of the movable element, interlocking means between the handles whereby all the handles must be operated to effect the closing of the press.

1 and 2 designate respectively upper and lower pressing elements, the upper pressing element 1 being movable toward and from the lower pressing element 2. These elements are of comparatively large area and are long enough to press a sheet without folding it and wide enough to press a sheet by folding it once. The opposite ends of the lower pressing element are supported by frames which are in dependent of each other, these frames being the standard frames of this type of pressing machine.

3 designates the frames and each comprises 1 a pair of front legs or pedestals and a single rear leg or pedestal 4. Each frame is provided with the usual bracket or goose neck 5 and the pressing element 2 is mounted on both respectively of the rear legs 4 of each frame 3.

The motor means is here shown as cylinders and pistons movable in the cylinders and connected in the yoke levers 6 through suitable motion transmitting mechanism, there-being one motor and one set of motion transmitting mechanism for eachmachine.

10 designates the cylinder; 11, the piston movable therein and 12 the piston rod which is connected to the front end of a combined lever and pull link 13 normally fulcrumed at 14:

on the frame, this lever and pull link 13 being pivoted at 15 at its rear end to a link 16, which 1 is pivoted at one end at 17 to the frame and at its other end at 18 to the lower end of the link 19, the upper end of which is pivoted at 20 to the rear arm of the lever 6. The combined lever and pull link 13 is formed with a follower 21, which moves along a cam slot 22 fixed to the frame. The construction of the ,actuating mechanism associated with each machine forms no part of my invention, but

is the subject matter of my application Serial.

No. 74,700 first filed on Dec. 11, 1925.

A suitable counterweight 23 and countersprings .24 and 25 act on the rear arm of the yoke lever or the motion transmitting mechanism'to open the press when the motive fluid in the cylinderis discontinued. The cylinder is a single acting one. The means for controlling the operation of the motors, that is controlling the flow of motive fluid, as air, to the cylinders and continuing such fiow until the press is closed, comprises a plurality of pairs of handles, one pair for eachoperator and interlocking means between the handles whereby all handles must be operated to effect the closing of the press. a

The construction and operation of this handle mechanism and the interlock between the same forms the subject matter of my Patent No. 1,609,273 dated Nov. 30, 1926, in which substantially the same mechanism and interlock is shown between the two handles reelements as this is the position usually docupied by-the two operators when operating on this machine. If a third operator should be required an additional set of handles would be provided and here these groups of handles control the flow of motive fluid to and from the cylinders. v

.28 and 29 designate the handles of one pair, and 31 the handles of another pair. These handles are push buttons which operate levers within the casings or housings 32, 33, 34 and 35. Although it is thought that a full description of this controlling mechanism is unnecessary for an understanding of this invention as it is necessary to bear in mind only that all handles 28 and 29, 30 and 31 must be depressed to elfect the closing of the press,

nevertheless I shall describe briefly the operation of the handles.

36 designates the feed pipe for supplying motive fluid to the cylinders 10 from a suitable source of supply, and 37 and 38 are branches leading from the pipe 36. These branches 37 and 38leadrespectively to the van valve casings located within the housing 33 and 34 of the pairs of handles 26 -27 respec'- tively. The valves operated by the handles 29 and 30 are combined intake and exhaust valves and are normally arranged with the intake valves closed and the exhaust valve open, while the valves operated by thehandles 28 and 31 and located in the housings 32 and 35 are merely normally open exhaust valves.- The depressing of all the handles closes all four exhaust valves in the casings 32, 33, 34

and 35 respectively and opens the intake valves in the casings 33 and 34 so that air can pass from the branches 37 and 38 through the valve casings in the housings 33 and 34, thence through pipes 39 and 40 to the intake 'ports'of the cylinders through couplings41 and 42. Obviously if one of these valves29, 30 is not depressed and assuming that the valves 28 and 31 are depressed the air instead of passing through the cylinders will take the easier course through the pipe 43 and out through the normally open exhaust valve operated by the handles 29. or 30, which is not operated. If, however, both valves 29 and 30 are operated but one or the other of the handles 28 or 31 is not operated, then the air will again take the easier course through the I p1pe43, pipe 44 and either one or the other of the branches 45 and 46, out through the normally openexhaust valves associated with the handles 28 or 31, which is not held depressed. i v

After the press is closed, valves operated by the handles 28, 29, 30 and 31are held in their operated position by back pressure from the cylinder 10, through a port 47 in the cylinder arranged to be uncovered by the piston'when the piston approaches the end of its power stroke. The back pressure through the port 47 is conveyed through a pipe 48,

or 49 associated with each cylinder to fluid operated motors as diaphragms in diaphragm chambers 50, 51, 52 and 53owhich exhaust valves through pipes 54, 55, 56 and 57. The back pressure is conveyed from the pipes 48 and 59 through branches 58, 59, 60 and 61, and the two pipes48 and 59, or the systems operated-thereby are connected or interlocked by a pipe 62 so that when any one handle or the valye operated by the bandle 28, 29, 30 or 31 is depressed when the press is closed, the air will be exhausted from all diaphragm chambers permitting all exhaust valves to open and intake valves to close. This pipe 45 is one of the interlocks between the two sets of valves operated by the handles 26 and 27 and the pipe 43, 44, 45 and 46 is another interlock.

This pressing machine is particularly advantageous in that it is builtup of small standard units and does not require a heavy frame in order to provide a pressing machine large enough to perform the work usually performed on flat work ironers and such machines can be built at a much less cost than a flat work ironer.

What I claim is 1. A pressing apparatus comprislnga plument, said means comprising duplicate porl rality of spaced apart frames, a pressing eletions, carried by each frame and individual thereto. r

2. A pressing apparatus comprising a plurality of spaced apart' frames, a motor for each frame, a pressing element carried by and common to both frames, a movable pressing element movable toward and from the former element and means for supporting and actuating the movable element, sai means comprlsing a yoke lever carried by each frame and motion transmitting mechanism between each motor an l the companion yoke lever.

3. A pressing'apparatus comprising a plurality of spaced apart frames, a motor for each frame, a pressing. element carried by and common to both frames, a movable pressing element movable toward and from the former element, means for supporting and actuating the movable element, said means 5, comprising a yoke lever carried by each trolling the operation of the motors, and means carried by each frame and individual means whereby all of the handles must be opthereto, motion transmitting means between erated to control the actuation of the motor the actuating means and the supporting to close the press. means for the movable element and operator- 15 B 4. A pressing machine comprising cooperoperated controllingrmeans common to the ating pressing elements, one of which is movactuating means of the frames. able toward and from the other, a plurality In testimony whereof, I have hereunto of frames for supporting one of said elesigned 111 name at Syracuse in the county ments, and means carried by the frames reof 011011 a a and State of ew York, this 2a In spectively for supporting contiguous por- 20th day 0 December, 1926. v

tions of the movable element, actuating ERNEST DAVIS. 

